by Willem Roper
Source: www.statista.com, January 2021
New survey data shows a vast majority of newer generations in the U.S. get much of their news strictly from smart devices like phones, computers and tablets, while older generations are still receiving news from more traditional media like televisions, radio and print.
According to Pew Research Center, 71 percent and 67 percent of those in the age groups of 18-29 and 30-49, respectively, get their news often from smart devices like computers, phones and tablets. Viewership and readership of traditional forms of media like television, radio and print news fall of cliff, however, with both age groups below 25 percent for each of the three. For older age groups of 50-64 and 65+, television was the dominant form of news with 54 percent and 68 percent, respectively, getting their news from there. Radio and print, however, were still fairly low for older generations, highlighting the steady decline for both forms of media over the last decades. Smart devices far surpassed radio and print for older generations, showing how quickly smart devices have become the go-to source for millions of Americans alongside television.
Overall, over half of Americans said they prefer a digital platform for ingesting news content. Television came in second with 35 percent, with radio and print trailing at 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. For younger generations, social media is the dominant source for news content as opposed to digital websites and news apps. Websites and news apps are the choice for all age groups except 18-29, where 42 percent prefer social media compared to 28 percent each for websites and apps along with search queries.
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